A relative newcomer to the annual registration night, the Sunrise Cycling Club is in its third season of operation. Club president Merlin Toth co-founded the club with Anne Stupak, Barry Rogers and several other people in the Yorkton area.
The Sunrise Cycling Club works to promote recreational cycling in the Yorkton area, says Toth. "We're not a competition based club at this point. We may become that at some time in the future but at this point we exist to coordinate cycling activity in the area and to offer recreational cycling," he elaborates.
Toth sits as a member of the Active Transportation Collaborative (ATC). The club and ATC share a common interest because the cycling network is part of the ATC's mandate and the Sunrise Cycling Club makes use of that cycling network, he explains.
Every Wednesday evening the club does a show and go ride. The ride starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Fifth Avenue Cup and Saucer. "Basically it's a show and go ride. Whoever shows up goes for a ride," Toth says. The ride length and area depends on whoever shows up, he adds. Typically the ride is anywhere from 15 to 30 km long and usually lasts one to two hours. While participants are encouraged to become members of the club and Sask. Cycling Association in order to get insurance coverage, anyone is welcome to come out to enjoy one free ride. After that they should join both organizations, Toth states.
In addition to the Wednesday rides the club will host a number of rides this summer, Toth reports. The season usually starts with a short ride out to Cherrydale Golf Club for a steak evening. Longer rides are generally built throughout the season. There will be an 80 km ride to Melville with a stop for dinner as well as a 100 km ride to Canora and back. The club will also participate in the Riding Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Challenge on September 8 and 9. The 140 km challenge starts in Dauphin Saturday morning, climbs the hills to Wasagaming where the ride stops for the night, then returns to Dauphin the next day. This year the club will also take part in the sixth annual Old Dog Run, a fund raising ride for a charitable cause in the Kamsack area. "It's a 160 km ride. But it's a very slow pace so anybody can do it," Toth claims. The one limiting requirement is riders must be at least 50 years of age, hence the named Old Dog Run.
Each year the Sask. Cycling Association hosts a GASP Tour (Great Annual Saskatchewan Pedal). This year that takes place the last week in July. The Gasp Tour is a bout a 600 km ride over a week long. It will start and end in Swift Current and takes in Ponteix, Val Marie, Climax, Gull Lake and that area.
No one should be intimidated by the proposed program. The club will also offers leisurely, shorter rides to those who are just starting out. Members train to build up to the longer rides which generally fall later in the season, Toth says.
The fee is $10 for the Sunrise Cycling Club and $30 for the Saskatchewan Cycling Association. The fees entitle members to club functions as well as insurance coverage while involved in any Sask. Cycling sanctioned activity or any member club function or event.
Anyone who'd like more information about the club can contact Merlin Toth and leave a message at 782-0180 or they can email at [email protected] or they can visit the Sask. Cycling Association website and there will be links there under the club page to the Sunrise Cycling Club and all the other cycling clubs in the province.
